With the help of the Silent Gravity, Sanders possessed the ability to float. However, he couldn't truly fly—he could only run swiftly through the air by stepping on it, his body light as a feather in the absence of gravity.
Thanks to his powerful Observation Haki, Sanders could hear countless cries of slaughter, looting, and destruction along his journey. His brows furrowed deeper with each step. While Roger's last words had ushered in the Great Pirate Era, spreading chaos that forced the World Government and Navy to divert their attention—thus easing the pressure on Sanders—it also plunged countless innocent civilians into the nightmare of pirate tyranny.
Sanders didn't know why Roger chose to ignite the Great Pirate Era. Perhaps Roger had his own reasons, something unavoidable. But one thing was undeniable—ordinary people were now caught in a storm of blood and suffering.
Still, Sanders didn't intervene. The world was already like this—a brutal place soaked in blood. Even if he wanted to help, what could he do? He alone couldn't hold back the tidal wave. And when it came down to it, the true root of this world's darkness lay with the Celestial Dragons and the World Government.
Back in Sanders's previous life, any dynasty whose rulers treated the people as livestock, as the Celestial Dragons did, would've faced revolt and revolution countless times over. But here, the endless seas divided lands and people, making rebellion difficult. It was this fractured geography that gave rise to the age of pirates. As long as the Celestial Dragons sat atop the world and the World Government continued acting with impunity, piracy would never die out.
Yet the World Government, which had ruled for 800 years, held a foundation far beyond what Sanders could challenge for now. Disdainful as he was of their tyranny, he was powerless to affect them. What he could do, though, was take advantage of the chaos—build his strength in the shadows while the Great Pirate Era raged, growing without being noticed.
One day, when he became strong enough, he would unleash his own storm.
The World Government had tried to kill him too many times, pushed him to the edge of death again and again. Sanders hadn't forgotten. He never would. Sooner or later, they would pay.
…
New World – The Kingdom of Joromia
Joromia was a kingdom rich in iron ore. In this war-torn New World, iron was in constant demand, making Joromia a prosperous and well-guarded kingdom. But just days ago, a single sentence from the Pirate King threw the seas into chaos—and in the New World, the heart of that chaos, Joromia found itself under siege.
For several days, pirates had repeatedly assaulted the kingdom. Fortunately, its wealth allowed it to field a capable military that had managed to repel the attackers.
Until now.
That day, three pirate ships appeared on the waters near Joromia. The moment the people of the kingdom saw the flag on those ships, despair spread like wildfire.
It was the flag of the Jack Pirates.
The Jack Pirates were new arrivals to the New World, yet their reputation already dwarfed many veteran crews. Their captain—Jack the Drought—was infamous for his bloodlust and merciless nature. Wherever the Jack Pirates went, no grass remained. Cities and lives were reduced to ash.
The strength of Jack's crew was unimaginable to the citizens of Joromia. The kingdom's royal guards shattered upon first contact. Against a monster like Jack, there was no effective resistance.
The nobility, of course, had seen this coming. They'd long since fled, vanishing with their treasures in tow, leaving only the commoners to suffer under the pirate scourge.
"Lord Felost! The western line has collapsed. Our forces have taken massive casualties!" a battered guard shouted as he climbed the city wall.
Felost, once the deputy commander of the royal guards, hadn't followed the nobles in their cowardly escape. Born a commoner himself, he couldn't bear to see innocent lives slaughtered by pirates. He stayed behind, leading the remnants of the guard in a desperate last stand against Jack.
Unfortunately, most of the kingdom's troops had fled with the royals. Those left behind were too few and too weak to put up much of a fight. The defense fell back step by step.
"How's the evacuation of the civilians?" Felost asked grimly. He knew they couldn't win. All he could hope to do was buy time—time to let the people escape.
But he hadn't anticipated the sheer ferocity of the Jack Pirates. Each of them fought like demons, hurling themselves into the fray with no fear for their lives, denying Felost's men even the chance to stall.
"The evacuation hasn't made much progress. The nobles took almost all the ships when they fled. Only a few small boats remain, and there's no way we can organize a proper escape with those," another soldier reported.
"Lord Felost! The east line has fallen too! All troops have retreated to the capital, but we won't hold out long," another soldier cried, bursting in.
"Damn it! Isn't there anything we can do?" Felost slammed his fist into the wall in frustration.
"The Jack Pirates are just too strong. Especially their captain—Jack the Drought. He's a Zoan-type Ancient Beast Devil Fruit user—specifically, the Mammoth Fruit. He's not someone we can stop with human strength," a guard said through gritted teeth.
As he spoke, the Jack Pirates came into view—a monstrous mammoth charging ahead with a horde of bloodthirsty pirates in tow, each one grinning with sadistic excitement. To them, the Kingdom of Joromia was nothing more than a delicious cake waiting to be devoured.
"Fire the cannons! Aim all of them at Jack! We must not let him get close to the city walls!" Felost roared.
Boom! Boom! The cannons thundered, hurling shells toward the massive mammoth.
Explosions engulfed Jack's form, sending up thick clouds of smoke.
But when the smoke cleared, the people of Joromia fell into despair.
The mammoth was completely unscathed.
"What are you waiting for? Charge! Wipe everything out!" Jack's cold, cruel voice rumbled from within the beast, sending shivers down the spines of his crew. With a bloodthirsty roar, they surged forward, storming toward the capital—Mia City.
"Keep firing! Don't let them near the walls!" Felost shouted.
Boom! Boom! Boom! The cannons continued to fire, but under Jack's command, the pirates charged with suicidal fervor, soon reaching the city walls. Using grappling hooks and brute strength, they began to climb.
Felost himself drew his blade, leading the defenders into battle.
He wasn't weak—his strength was equivalent to a Navy Captain's. With him at the helm, the guards barely managed to hold the wall for a while.
Then came a thunderous crash.
The sky itself seemed to tremble as a deafening boom shattered the battlefield.
The enormous mammoth had reached Mia City. Jack swung his massive trunk at the wall—CRACK!—and a huge section collapsed like sand.
"JACK!!!" Felost bellowed, eyes burning with fury. He raised his sword and charged straight at the beast.
But Jack was too strong. In a single motion, he flung Felost away with his trunk.
"Damn pirates… Is there really no hope left?" Felost coughed up blood as he crashed into the rubble. His forehead was bleeding, his limbs trembling. He couldn't get up.
Watching Jack destroy the walls without resistance, Felost's eyes filled with despair.
Then, a voice echoed out, calm and composed, cutting through the chaos like a blade.
"Is this enough to break you? If your hope is lost… then pray for my protection. Declare me your king, and I will take this kingdom under my rule. From this day forward, I swear—no pirate shall ever dare invade your lands again."
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Note: The Kingdom of Joromia and Jack's independent crew mentioned in this chapter are specific to this AU and not present in the Canon